Swansea has one of the slowest evening broadband speeds in Britain, according to a survey tha found getting up early is the quickest way to surf the ne.

Some of the UK's lowest broadband speeds have been recorded in parts of Wales

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Swansea has one of the slowest evening broadband speeds in Britain, according to a survey that found getting up early is the quickest way to surf the net.

According to new research by independent price comparison and switching service uSwitch.com, Broadband speeds in urban areas are at their fastest at 4am. But they drop by over a quarter - 28% - by evening time, when most people want to go online.

The study, based on more than 2.3 million consumer speed tests over the past six months, reveals that it is the nation’s insomniacs and early risers who are benefiting the most from the maximum headline speeds offered by providers.

With average download speeds falling by as much as 60% during peak times in some parts of the UK, the busy evening hours are actually the slowest time of the day to go online.

The fastest time to surf the internet in the UK’s biggest towns and cities is at 4am, when the average download speed is 14.83Mbps. The slowest time to surf is 9pm, when average speeds fall to 10.72Mbps.

But spare a thought for those broadband users in Aberdeen and Swansea. Aberdeen residents have to make do with speeds of just 6.08Mbps at 9pm, and those in Swansea, speeds of 6.99Mbps – half the speed of Birmingham and Middlesbrough.

Julia Stent, telecoms expert at uSwitch.com, says: “This research shows the incredible strain that is placed on broadband when everyone logs on at the same time, particularly in densely populated areas. And the big rise in streaming and downloading – be that films for our tablets, or games for our smartphones – means that striving to deliver consistent speeds will be a long, hard slog for broadband providers.

“It certainly explains why some people may never actually feel like their connection is as fast as the one promised by providers when they signed.

“The obvious solution of setting your alarm at 4am to use the internet is far from practical.

"Instead, run an online speed test at home to check that you are getting the best possible service available in your area. If you think you could do better, consider shopping around for a new deal.”